Apricot Empanadas

I really enjoy serving a dessert Empanada with a Mexican or Southwest dinner menu.  I recently planned a lovely dinner party for some friends and thought this would be a great dessert to share with them, and then of course I wanted to share them with you.  Sure hope you enjoy these Apricot Empanadas.


Apricot Empanadas

Apricot Empanadas at Miz Helen's Country Cottage
A Great Dessert


Apricot Empanadas
Miz Helen's Kitchen
Filling
2 (12 ounce) bags of dried apricots
2 cups water
2 4" cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla bean, sliced down the middle on one side to open
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
In a medium saucepan combine all ingredients.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the apricots are soft.  Check the water level frequently to ensure that the apricots don't run dry.  Most of the water will be used for reconstituting the apricots so they shouldn't be watery after cooking.  When soft, mash apricots with a fork or place in food processor and pulse a few times to mash the apricots.
Empanada Sweet Dough
3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter or 16 Tablespoons, cut into 16 pieces
2 eggs
3 Tablespoon cold water (water needs to be ice cold)
Topping
3 Tablespoon granulated white sugar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon
Stir together
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a Food Processor, mix the flour, sugar and salt
Add the butter one tablespoon at a time while the processor is on. After 8 tablespoons of butter have been added, add one egg.
Add remaining butter one tablespoon at a time, then add 2nd egg and water until a clumpy dough forms.
Knead the dough for a few minutes on work surface covered with parchment paper.
Form dough into 2 balls, flatten into thick discs, and using parchment paper to wrap and separate the disks, place in a baggie, seal, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Roll the dough out into a thin sheet between pieces of parchment paper, 1/3 " thick or so, and cut out round disc shapaes for empanadas, using a round mold about 4" to 5" across.
Suzanne used a lid from a large jar of peanut butter and so did I, it worked great!
Fill each with about one teaspoon of filling. Don't overfill
Fold over and secure edges with fork tines. Be careful not to mash too hard
If the dough gets to soft, return to the refrigerator for a few more minutes to firm the dough.
Using a spatula, move empanada from the work surface to a parchment covered cookie sheet. 
Again if the dough has become too soft, place another cookie sheet under the parchment paper on your work surface and place in the refrigerator for a few minutes until the dough becomes firm enough to handle.
Sprinkle the top of the empanadas with the mix of sugar and cinnamon
Place empanadas in the oven and bake for 25 minutes
Tip
Use the Empanada dough immediately or store in the refrigerator or freezer for later use.

Pin For Later
Apricot Empandas at Miz Helen's Country Cottage


 A Platter of Apricot Empanadas For Guest

Apricot Empanadas at Miz Helen's Country Cottage
A Nice Gift Box of Empanadas for A Friend

Apricot Empanadas at Miz Helen's Country Cottage
Sure Hope You Enjoyed Your Dessert

I am so happy that you stopped by to enjoy these wonderful Empanadas with us today and hope you will come back soon!
Peace and Joy


Miz Helen
Miz Helen

Cookbook Author, Recipe Developer, Organic Gardner.


Comments

  1. Ooo - loving this sweet take on empanadas!!

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  2. These sound delicious! I've made pumpkin empanadas before from scratch too but these sound even better! This is my first month participating in the SRC and it's great to see what everyone else has prepared!

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  3. Oh my, I am drooling over this recipe - it looks super delicious :)

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  4. Thank you for all of your kind words, Helen! You picked one of my favorite recipes. I just love the little bit of vanilla bean that makes these extra special. I'm so glad you enjoyed them enough to give them to friends. They look beautiful. Great photos, too! Always a pleasure to be with you in SRC!!!

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  5. I love empanadas and these sweet ones look fantastic. Great pick!

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  6. These look like a delicious sweet treat. Can't wait to try them!

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  7. Your empanadas look fabulous and the apricots with all those spices in the filling sounds beyond. Yum!

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  8. These look (and sound) so delicious! I've never made an empanada before but I'm thinking that I'd love to give these a try!
    Katie

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  9. It never occurred to me to make sweet empanadas! Now I want to make these with peaches!

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  10. Miz Helen - these look sooooooooooooo delicious
    I've never tasted apricot empanadas and I can't wait to make them
    I'm pinning them

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  11. Mmmmm....I love apricots! Sweet empanadas...delicious!

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  12. Miz, wow, your empanadas look gorgeous, and sounds delicious, we do something like this in Indian cuisine with sweet and spice filling, I would love to try it out with apricots..

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  13. Love the idea of sweet empanadas!

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  14. Those look excellent - I've never seen a dessert empanada, but it makes perfect sense!

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  15. I love empanadas but have never tried to make them. I need to give this one a try. thanks for stopping by my blog

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  16. I have never made empanadas. These look delicious. I love the flavors. Fun cooking along with you in SRC!

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  17. I've made savory empanadas before. I love the idea of a sweet version too. These look fantastic Miz Helen.

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  18. I've been looking for a recipe for empanada dough. Should try this.

    Gay
    A Scientist in the Kitchen

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  19. These sounds amazing and look so beautiful:) What a great choice, have bookmarked this for later:) so fun cooking with you in SRC

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  20. Wow, what a great recipe! I love empanadas and make savory ones for picnics. I love the idea of the dried apricots-makes the empanadas easy to make whatever the season. I'll definitely try these!

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  21. The apricot empanadas look so good! I have been working on getting 100 recipes on my blog so I can sign up for the secret recipe club too! Thank you for featuring my dish on your plate. (they were empanadas too...)
    ~Jamie

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  22. Visiting from The Country Cook's Weekend Potluck and I MUST make these for my mother and her best friend. They love apricots and I just made some jam from the apricot tree last month. They will LOVE them. Thank you for posting this. KK

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  23. Oh Miz Helen, you have out done yourself!! These look perfect!!!! I'd love some of these with a nice glass of milk. Please don't forget to like us on Facebook Thank you for linking to Foodie Friday!

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  24. fantastic, Miz Helen. I linked in a coleslaw to the Diane Balch party. Cheers

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  25. These look yummy - I love apricot! Visiting from Freedom Friday :)

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  26. Your empanadas came out gorgeous and they sound delicious.

    If you haven't already, I'd love for you to check out my group "A" SRC entry: Double Chocolate Mousse Cake.

    Lisa~~
    Cook Lisa Cook

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  27. Looks delicious & eager to give a try! Wonderful presentation, Miz Helen.

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  28. You got me on this recipe. I actually can't image what it taste like. I am intrigued. Thanks for sharing it on foodie friday.

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  29. OH Miz Helen! These look and sound simply AMAZING! Thank you so much for linking these up!

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  30. I love empanandas! Living in the southwest empanandas are a mainstream but I have never tried to make them. And they come in all flavors. I love the way you used the apricots reconstituted and then blended or mashed so one would get pure apricot in each yummy bite:) Thank you for sharing at Freedom Fridays.
    PS Now I am off to check out Suzanne's blog:)

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  31. It's too hot here to cook. I'm coming to spend the week with you and this delicious menu:)

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  32. Please tell me the size of your dried apricots bag? Oz, grams, lbs. thanks

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    Replies
    1. The size of the bag of Apricots was 12 ounce, so that would be 2 (12 ounce) bags. Hope you enjoy the empanadas and thanks so much for stopping by!
      Miz Helen

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Miz Helen